Top burner flash tube ignition system



F. J. KINDL TOP BURNER FLASH TUBE IGNITION SYSTEM Oct. 25, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1965 I N VEN TOR.

FRANK J. K INDL @uwo, 6M

A TTORNE YS Oct. 25, 1966 F. J. KINDL 3,230,835

TOP BURNER FLASH TUBE IGNITION SYSTEM Filed Feb. 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

FRANK J. KINDL United States Patent 3,280,885 TOP BURNER FLASH TUBE IGNITION SYSTEM Frank J. Kindl, Independence, Ohio, assignor to The W. J. Schoenberger 0)., Cleveland, Ohio Filed Feb. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 432,491 6 Claims. (CL 158-115) This invention relates to flash tube ignition devices for gas burners and is particularly directed to improvements therein aimed at the reduction of ignition time while obtaining simplicity of construction and concomitant economy in manufacture.

Of primary concern in connection with this invention is the provision of an ignition device including mounting means therefor in which the mounting means and ignition device are properly oriented and secured together by mechanisms which also serve the purpose of reducing the ignition time characteristics of the device. To this end, the flash tube is located with respect to the mounting means by spaced upstanding leg members received in slots in the opposite sides of the flash tube so as to project thereinto and form a velocity-increasing restriction therebetween; and the flash tube is secured to the mounting means by a fastening element which also serves as a premixer. As a result, the locating and securing elements perform not only their orienting and securing functions, but they also cooperate with each other to efliciently form and control the flow of an explosive fuel-air mixture such that burner ignition time is decreased. More particularly, an object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved arrangement of component parts of the type generally described hereinabove, wherein a single tube member may be formed to provide a pair of diametrically opposed flash tubes joined by an intermediate banjo portion, this entity being located on and secured to a mounting plate member through the medium of legs struck upwardly from the mounting plate and by suitable fasteners such as rivets extending diametrically through the flash tubes, the legs and fasteners being so located with respect to each other and with the banjo portion as to constitute first a premixing device by the virtue of the fastening elements succeeded or followed by a restricting baflle arrangement formed by the upstanding legs, as related to the direction of gas flow from the outer ends of the flash tubes toward the banjo portion whereat a pilot flame is located.

Further, one embodiment of this invention invisages an arrangement as aforesaid wherein the entire unit is removably mounted upon a suitable support so that the unit may be easily removed and repaired as desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification hereinafter and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through an ignition device according to the present invention and showing port-ions of a pair of top burners associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the assemblage shown in FIGURE 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane of line 3--3 in FIGURE 2 and showing details of the ignition assemblage;

FIG.4 is a perspective view of the flash tube assembly when detached from its mounting plate;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mounting plate for the flash tube assembly;

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FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 7-7 of FIGURE 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the plane of section 88 in FIGURE 7; and

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the modified construction illustrated in FIGURES 6-8.

With reference to FIGURE 1, the reference characters 10 and 12 therein indicate a pair of top burners, each being provided with suitable means for the supply of gaseous fuel-air mixture thereto. For example, as is shown, a suitable valve 14 having a control knob or handle 16 is provided with a nipple 18 for connection with a gaseous fuel supply line. The outlet connection 20 of the valve is connected to a primary air mixing manifold 22 into which the gaseous fuel is fed for ultimate delivery to the main body 24 of the top burner, the primary air opening 26 being provided as shown. The burner body is provided at an ignition port 28 aligned with the open end of a flash tube or ignition device designated generally by the reference character 30 and to which the present invention is specifically directed.

The ignition device constitutes a mounting plate 32 and a flash tube mechanism which provides the two separate flash tubes 34 and 36 joined by a banjo portion, the side wall 38 of which may be seen in FIGURE 1 and a corresponding side wall 40 of which may be seen in FIGURE 2. The mounting plate 32, as can be best seen in FIGURES 3 and 5 includes a main body portion 42 having depending side flanges 44 and 46, one of which is provided with a horizontal leg portion 48, by means of which the mounting plate may be secured to the frame of the stove or the like with which it is associated as by fasteners 50 as shown in FIGURE 3. The main body portion 42 is provided with an opening 52 and upwardly struck from the body 42 are a pair of shields or deflector devices 54 and 56 which stand upwardly on diametrically opposed sides of the opening 52 substantially as shown. The frame member 58 (FIGURE 3) mounts a pilot burner 60 which projects upwardly therefrom generally centrally of the opening 52 and terminates substantially below the upper edges of the shields 54 and 56 so that the flame burning at the upper end is shielded from being extinguished as a consequence of explosion occurring during ignition.

The body 42 is also provided with two pairs of upstanding legs 62 and 64 which are preferably upwardly struck as shown in FIGURE 5 and are disposed in laterally spaced relation and with each pair being spaced from and aligned with a corresponding shield 54 or 56. The mounting plate body 42 is also provided with the openings 66 and 68 as shown in FIGURE 5.

As can be seen in FIGURE 4, the flash tube member is provided in its tube portions 34 and 36 with side wall slots substantially as is illustrated by reference characters 70 and 72, these slots being spaced longitudinally in accordance with the spacing between the pairs of legs 62 and 64 and each of the slots 70 and 72 having a diametrically opposed counterpart as may be seen by the dotted line showings 70 and 72' in FIGURE 4. The depth of the slots is such as to correspond to the lateral spacing between the legs 62 and 64 of each pair so that when the ignition tube device is positioned as shown for example in FIGURES 1 and 2, it is properly oriented relative to the mounting plate. Each tube portion 34 and 36 is also provided with a diametrically extending bore as designated by the reference characters 76 and 78, the spacing between these two bores being equal to the spacing between the openings 66 and 68 in the mounting plate body 42 so that securing means such as the rivets 80 and 82 (FIG- URE 1) may serve to secure the flash tube device to the mounting plate.

The object of the device may be seen more clearly from a study of FIGURE 1. For each flash tube 34 and 36, the corresponding fastener 80 or 82 serves as a pre-mixing device to assure that the air drawn through the open end of the respective tube is mixed with the combustible fuelair mixture entering from a corresponding ignition port 28 so as to form an explosive fuel-air mixture. This mixture then passes through the restriction afforded between the opposed upstanding faces of the legs 62 or 64 whereat the velocity of the mixture is increased for delivery to the region of the pilot burner flame whereat the mixture is ignited to explode back through the corresponding tube portion 34 or 36 for ignition of the corresponding burners and 12.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the means serving to locate and secure the flash tube device to the mounting plate also serves the important functions of pro-mixing and restricting the passage of the explosive air-fuel mixture. As a result of the combined pre-mixing and constricting function, ignition time is materially decreased without, however, increasing the complexity, structurally or otherwise, of the assemblage. In other words, the locating and securing devices serve double functions.

A modified form of construction is illustrated in FIG- URES 69. As may be seen in FIGURE 9, the modified construction employs a support member 100, provided with a pair of rectangular openings 102 and 104 and a further pair of rectangular openings 106 and 108 arranged symmetrically about the pilot burner tip opening 110. The mounting plate is indicated generally by the reference characters 112 and will be seen to include a body portion 114 similar to that which was described in connection with FIGURES 1-5. However, the mounting plate 112 is provided, in addition to the upstanding legs 116 and 118, with depending ears 120 and 122 which are adapted to be received in the openings 106 and 108 and which serve to locate the mounting plate 112 relative to the support 100. The mounting plate 112 is provided along the opposite sides of its body with the depending flanges 124 and 126 each of which is notched as indicated by the reference character 128 in FIGURE 9, the purpose of which will be presently apparent. The flanges 124 and 126 serve to space the body 114 above the mounting device 100 to allow free flow of air below the mounting plate 112 and upwardly through the central opening 130 in the body 114 around the pilot burner nozzle and between the deflector devices 132 and 134. The flash tube device 136 is generally formed in accord with that previously described and is secured to the mounting plate 112 and located with respect thereto in a manner identical to the previous description hereinabove.

The flash tube assembly 136 with mounting plate 112 forms a separate unit which is, however, securable to the support device 100 and for the purpose of holding this unit in place, the clip device 140 is utilized. The clip device is of generally U-shaped configuration, having the bight portion 142 and depending arms 144 and 146 and is formed of resilient springy material. The free end of each arm 144 and 146 is provided with a resilient finger portion 148 which is adapted to be passed through the openings 102 and 104 in the support device 100 to securely hold the unit 112, 136 in place thereon substantially as is shown in FIGURE 8. However, the fingers 148 and 150 have cam portions cooperating wit-h the openings 102 and 104 to permit them to be cammed past the position shown in FIGURE 8 and lifted away from the support 100, such action being shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 8. In addition, each of the arms 144 and 146 is provided with a pair of claw portions 152 and 154 on opposite sides of the corresponding fingers 148 which are adapted to grip the sides of the mounting plate 112 and clear the support 100 by virtue of the depth of the notches 128 previously mentioned. At the same time the lengths of the notches 128 assure that the unit 112, 136 is oriented with respect to the clip device 140. In all other respects, the operation of the device is the same as that previously described, in connection with FIGURES 1-5.

Whereas only one form of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail hereinabove, it will be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An ignition device for gaseous fuel burners comprising, in combination,

a mounting plate having an opening and upstanding deflector walls disposed on opposite sides of said opening, said mounting plate being provided with a pair of upstanding legs on opposite sides of said opening in alignment with respective ones of said deflector walls and spaced therefrom,

a pilot burner disposed between said deflector walls,

a flash tube device including a pair of spaced, aligned flash tube portions joined by vertical wall members at said opening in the mounting plate so that the inner ends of said flash tube portions are adjacent corresponding ones of said deflector walls, each tube portion having a diametrically opposed pair of vertical slots receiving a respective pair of said legs and with the spacing between the legs of each pair being such to restrict the passage through the tube portion, I

a fastener element projecting vertically through each tube portion and the underlying mounting plate between a corresponding pair of said legs and the outer end of a corresponding tube portion.

2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting plate is provided with depending side flanges and depending ears projecting below said flanges,

a support member underlying said mounting plate and having openings receiving said ears,

and a clip device for detachably securing said mounting plate to said support member.

3. In a burner ignition device, in combination,

a flash tube comprising a pair of open ended tube portions joined at their inner ends by a banjo portion, each tube portion having a pair of diametrically opposed vertical slots adjacent its inner end, each tube portion also having a vertical bore adjacent its outer end,

a mounting plate member underlying said flash tube and having an opening aligned with said banjo portion, said mounting plate member having a pair of upstanding legs in each side of said opening therein, each pair of legs being received in a pair of said slots in a respective tube portion to locate said flash tube relative to said mounting plate and each pair of legs being spaced apart to restrict the passage through each tube portion,

a fastener member projecting through each of said bores and into said mounting plate to secure said flash tube thereto and each being located substantially diametrically of a corresponding tube portion to form a premixing baffle,

shielding means formed at least partially around said mounting plate opening,

and a pilot burner tip projecting through said opening.

4. The assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said mounting plate is provided with depending side flanges and depending ears projecting below said flanges,

a support member underlying said mounting plate and having openings receiving said ears,

and a clip device for detachably securing said mounting plate to said support member.

5. The assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said clip device is generally U-shaped to provide depending arms References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,957,442 5/1934 Brurnbaugh et al 158-115 2,514,552 7/1950 Mueller 158-115 2,759,471 8/1956 Crone 158115 X JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN IGNITION DEVICE FOR GASEOUS FUEL BURNERS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MOUNTING PLATE HAVING AN OPENING AND UPSTANDING DEFLECTOR WALLS DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OPENING, SAID MOUNTING PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF UPSTANDING LEGS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OPENING IN ALIGNMENT WITH RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID DEFLECTOR WALLS AND SPACED THEREFROM, A PILOT BURNER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID DEFLECTOR WALLS, A FLASH TUBE DEVICE INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED, ALIGNED FLASH TUBER PORTIONS JOINED BY VERTICAL WALL MEMBERS AT SAID OPENING IN THE MOUNTING PLATE SO THAT THE INNER ENDS OF SAID FLASH TUBE PORTIONS ARE ADJACENT CORRESPONDING ONES OF SAID DEFLECTOR WALLS, EACH TUBE PORTION HAVING A DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSIDE PAIR OF VERTICAL SLOTS RECEIVING A RESPECTIVE PAIR OF SAID LEGS AND WITH THE SPACING BETWEEN THE LEGS OF EACH PAIR BEING SUCH TO RESTRICT THE PASSAGE THROUGH THE TUBE PORTION, A FASTENER ELEMENT PROJECTING VERTICALLY THROUGH EACH TUBE PORTION AND THE UNDERLYING MOUNTING PLATE BETWEEN A CORRESPONDING PAIR OF SADI LEGS AND THE OUTER END OF A CORRESPONDING TUBE PORTION. 